Mutations
by Demonhunter2
Summary: A population of the Blood elves have a secret that they keep from the rest of Azeroth, one that they are greatly ashamed of. Lor'themar has one that he fears will ruin his life.


I came up with this idea from the X-men, but not a cross story as there are no characters from the X-men :D

Read and Review greatly appreciated.

Lor'themar rode his horse up the steep hill, it was strenuous work, he could tell the horse struggled making it up. He dismounted the horse and led her the rest of the way, he finally reached his destination, and was shocked at the appearance of the home. Dead plant life adorned the front of the house, broken windows, and cracks in the walls. Many of the houses that were damaged or destroyed by the scourge attack were repaired by now, but as he came closer to the front door and saw the black painted door and the word "Mutation" painted in red, he realized it was not scourge that damaged the house but his own people. He cringed when he saw the black door, it was meant to be a disgrace upon the owner of the house, he saw it as a disgrace upon his own people, such intolerance, it made him physically sick. He tied his horse to a tree and gently knocked on the door, there was no answer, he knocked again, still no answer. He walked to the window and saw a young woman lying on her couch, she appeared sick. He knocked on the window, she turned to him, he waved at her, and he wore his ranger uniform.

She angrily threw her blankets off and walked to the window "What is it you want ranger? If you have come to harass me, I have not left my home in two weeks so whatever crime you wish to falsely accuse me of, I am innocent. So leave" She yelled through the broken window.

"I was not going to accuse you of anything, my lady." She stared at him for a moment, he was so polite, he called her a lady, usually the rangers called her a wretched, especially since Lady Sylvanas and Lor'themar were no longer rangers.

"I have come to speak to you about your brother." She stood there for a moment. Her hair a fiery red was messy, it must have been days since she brushed it, if not a week. Her clothes were dirty, and torn, and she smelled, he tried not to notice, he didn't want to offend her.

"What of him? Has your ranger general commanded you to execute him, of course without a trial."

"Do you not recognize me?" He questioned slightly surprised most elves recognized him, either they showed respect to him or pleaded with him to solve their tedious problems.

"Should I? Have you harassed me in the past?"

"No." He was quiet than he realized she really didn't recognize him, in some ways it was a welcome relief to not be known. "I am Lor'themar Theron."

"You are the regent lord." She laughed bitterly "Out here? In the middle of hell, doubtful." She turned to go back to her couch.

"Hell?"

"Well, it is hell only for me. Did you not see my door?"

"I did..." She turned around on her heels quickly.

"If you really are who you say you are, than you have come to harass me."

"Why would you say such a thing? I wish only to help my people."

"Your people, the mutations? We know you share the views of your ranger general and his rangers. That is why you permit him to harass us the way he does."

"I do not share his view, and I hate that word. You are not a mutation." He snapped."I apologies for losing my temper. May I come in, it is imperative that I find your brother before Halduron does."

"You do not share his views, why do you allow him to treat us in such a manner?"

"I do not, this is the first I have heard of him harassing you. I will put an end to it." He took a beat "Well, the best I can, I have tried to change many of our archaic laws but have hit opposition every time. I have tried to make the practice of black dooring illegal for many, many years."

She stared at him for a long time, sizing him up, than she went to the door and opened it to him. "If you are lying I will not hesitate to harm you."

"If I am lying than I deserve anything you do to me." He went inside, the floor had an inch of dust, papers, clothes, and books were sprawled all over the floor. She had a bookcase with a few broken shelves. A bird's nest sat in the corner of the room, and a robin fed her babies worms. She lied back down on the couch and covered herself.

"Are you ill?" She looked up at him.

"I am, but not of the body, of the mind." His heart sank, so many of his people had been traumatized by the scourge attack. There were resources to help someone who was sick of the mind, she obviously failed to reach out. He sat at an arm chair that had no arms, he worried it would break and he would fall.

"We have resources for you, you need not suffer with your illness."

"I reached out, one of the villagers told the healer what I am and she refused to help me anymore. I stay inside all the time, I fear the villagers will harm me. Two young boys throw rocks through my window for fun, I no longer fix them."

"I have heard of many stories that are similar to yours, it is more tolerable in Silvermoon. I have made more head ways there than anywhere else, why do you stay in such a...intolerable village?"

"I have no money." She sat-up "This was my parent's home, I grew up here, I inherited it from them when they died, it is my home." Tears ran down her face.

"I can put you under my personal protection, they will no longer harm you."

She lifted her head, her face covered in dirt and tears she did not bother wiping them away. "Why would you do that? I am nothing to you."

"We are all blood elves, you are my people and I will protect all my people from threats, including those from other elves."

"I am not your people, we both know there are elves and than there are _elves_."

He shifted uneasily, stroked his chin, and contemplated telling her, he turned around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on them."Look at my hand."

"What?"

"Just look." She looked down and his hand changed from pale skin to blue like naga, than it changed green like an orcs, than back to it's original colouring.

"You are like us."

"I am, no one knows, so please keep this to yourself. I would lose everything I hold dear if...if my true identity was revealed." He shook his head and scoffed "My true identity, I am a blood elf, born to blood elf parents, my family has a long, rich history in Quel'thalas, yet, if I was to reveal this ability, I would be treated worse than naga."

"Halduron obviously does not know, he would hate you forever."

"Those words they hurt my heart, but I know they are true. We have had many arguments about this issue, I have tried to change his mind but his family has a history of hating us."

"You want to help my brother?"

"Indeed."

"What has he done?"

"He is accused of murder, Halduron and Rommath wish to execute him without due process, in fact they wish to execute your entire family as you have a history of these changes."

"Changes?"

"Would you prefer mutations? Our genetic make-up has deferred from the usual process, we are so much more than them, and I believe it scares them. We are not mages, priests, or paladins who derive their powers from the Sunwell, or from the light. We have an endless power they fear we may turn on them. But, it simply is not so, we only wish to live among our brothers and sisters in peace."

"Where did you get such wisdom? My parents always taught me to fear our fellow elves, they never fought back."

"My parents were not like me, I believe one or both of them carried a gene, they hid me away for many years. They too taught me to fear my fellow elves, I have never shown anyone my true form."

"Your true form? What do you really look like?"

"I prefer not to show you, it is...hideous."

"Who told you that?"

"My parents, they were horrified when they saw me upon birth. When I grew older they realized I could change my form, my father showed me pictures of what he looked like as a child, I imitated his appearance."

"This is your father's face."

"It is."

"I do not know where my brother is."

"I will give him a fair trial. I will ensure that his guilt or innocence is not determined by who he is, but by the evidence."

"I will go with you to search for him."

"Have I not convinced you of my sincerity?"

"No, you have. I just wish to help him, convince him of your good intentions." He nodded his head in acceptance.

"You may want to freshen up before we depart. A bath and a change of clothes, I will wait for you." She stood-up and went to the back room, he waited for her for a second than went outside and removed the dead plants, and shards of glass that laid in the dirt. He went around the house and found some old tools, and a broom that's bristles were bend every which way, he grabbed it and swept to his best ability.

As he rounded the house to the front he found two boys, laughing, they had rocks in their hands and used degrading words to describe the young woman he had just met, it made his stomach turn. One of them, a blond haired child raised his hand to throw the rock at the window, Lor'themar grabbed his hand and gave him an angry look.

"Boy, what do you think you are doing?"

"Having fun." He laughed, Lor'themar grasped both boys by their collars and pressed them against the wall and held them there.

"You two are the ones who have been breaking the lady's windows. Your behaviour is intolerable and against the law."

"You are a ranger why do you care?" The other boy with brown hair said in an incorrigible tone.

"I am not a ranger, I use to be a ranger. I chose not to wear my regent lord robes so far into Ghostlands." The two boys gasped.

"You are the regent lord?" The brown haired boy questioned terrified.

"Indeed, boy. Do your parents give you allowance?" They nodded their heads confused "Good, you will use your own money to repair the windows you broke, and to paint the lady's door. She is under my personal protection, is that understood." The two boys nodded their heads in understanding "I am sorry I did not hear you. I asked if you understood."

"Y-yes, m-my lord." The brown haired boy stuttered, he let go of them both.

"Run off, I wish to never hear of ill treatment of the lady that lives here." They ran off.

Lor'themar went inside with the broom, he picked up the papers and put it on the coffee table, the books were put on the shelves that were still usable. He picked up the clothes, folded them and placed them on the couch despite the fact that they were dirty. He than swept and did the dishes, he left the nest, he knew the mother would abandon the babies if he touched them. He sat down and waited for the young woman to come back.

She finally finished, she wore a bright yellow dress, it was simple and had no elaborate embroidery, it was low cut showing off her amble bosom. Her face was clean, and her hair was put up in a tight bun, she cleaned up nicely, now he could see her beauty. He stood-up in respect, she giggled.

"What is so funny?"

"Your shirt is wet." He looked down.

"I am not skilled at doing the dishes, it is why I have servants." He laughed at himself. "You clean up nicely."

"Thank-you." Her shyness from childhood came back, she lowered her head and tucked an imaginary piece of hair behind her ear in a nervous way.

"Can you wait another hour?"

"We have wasted enough time already."

"Do you have food? I can make us some."

"I do, and if we run out we can always buy some from another village. One good thing about being the regent lord is that no one refuses you."

"Must be nice."

"What is your name?"

"Lana'thal..." She shook her head. "Like the scourge."

"She was not always a scourge, there was a time when she was an elf, a good, noble elf. Remember what she was not what she became. It is a beautiful name."

She had a small satchel that was lying on the ground, he picked it up and put it cross body. He noticed when he went around the house she had no mount, he opened the front door for her and went to his horse and untied her. He mounted her and lowered her so Lana'thal could mount like a lady. He nodded his head to signal for her to sit on top.

Lana'thal looked at the horse for a moment, she was terrified, she had never rode a horse, she cleaned other elve's houses, she did menial jobs that they deemed themselves too good to do. She never learned to ride, that was reserved for her brother. Despite her trepidation she sat on top of the beast, and wrapped her hands around Lor'themar's chest. He was a bit taken a back by this, he looked down at her hands, it was a bit personal, he expected her to put her hands onto the saddle, but he decided it was up to her, it was her safety after all. The horse stood-up and he quickly turned her around and down the very steep hill. Her stomach sank, she felt sick as it seemed like they were going to go head first down the hill, much like that silly human nursery rhyme with the brother and sister falling down the hill. She closed her eyes, buried her head into his back and muffled a scream. He took a quick glance and realized she was terrified, he eased up on the speed.

As they passed the village he heard one of the villagers say "By time the rangers took care of that mutation." He did not stop to scold the villager, they had business to attend to.

After an hour of riding he stopped "My lady, could you ease up on your grip?"

"Why?" she asked muffled.

"Because you are digging into my skin, you have very long nails." She lifted her head and slowly released her grip.

"Sorry."

"Is this your first time on a horse?" She nodded her head "Most ride for the first time when they are still children."

"My father believed that only males should ride."

"That is ridiculous, many of our rangers are female, and we have a long history of female ranger generals. That is more of a human ideal than an elf one."

"We have half-elf in our blood, no doubt the human is the one who started that."

"Lay your hands on my chest...flat." He smiled "Ready yourself to go fast, not too fast. You will also have to look at where we are going so you may direct me." He whipped the horse and she went fast, Lana'thal tightened her grip but kept her head up, after a while she realized she was enjoying it. The wind in her face, the movement of the horse, the smell of mageroyal in the air. It had been many years since they rid themselves of the scourge that was left behind, Ghostlands was starting to recover to an extend. It may not be what it once was, no one had a delusion that it ever would be, but it was recovering some of it's beauty.

"There it is. That cave is where he lives, they are good friends, I know my brother would have gone to Lohean for help." He stopped the horse in front of the cave, it was cold and dark, water dripped from the ceiling, Lor'themar could not believe anyone lived in a cave in Quel'thalas. His more noble birth shielded him, or maybe it was the fact that he could hide behind this facade that shielded him.

They walked to the cave. "Lohean, it is I, Lana'thal, do not be frightened."

"What do you want?" He hid in the shadows, his voice sounded like he was hissing much like a naga. He had two serpent shaped eyes, they glowed and it was all that could be seen from the shadows.

"I am looking for my brother, he is in trouble, I know he came to see you."

Why do you sssspect that?"

"You are his friend and he always comes to you for help."

"Why ssssshould I help you?"

"Because I want to help him. We want to help him."

"Ranger." He gasped and went further into his cave.

"Do not fear me, I wish you no harm. I too am a...mutation." He hated referring to himself as that word, but even they called themselves that, it was the only way to communicate what he was to this Lohean.

"Ranger no mutation."

"I have concealed my true nature, no one knows. I wish only to help."

"I have seen his true nature, he is what he says he is."

"Tradies."

"Tradies?" Lor'themar contorted his face in confusion, did this elf even have an education? Was an education even possible to someone who hides in a cave.

"He wants something in exchange for information."

"What would you like?"

"I...I want to come out."

A tear formed in his eyes, what had they become that an elf had to hide in their homes, or in a cave from their own people. He realized he had not done enough to help them, he had allowed fear to dictate his actions, he hid behind a face that did not belong to him.

"Come out, I will protect you." Lana'thal offered her hand, he hesitated, slowly a green, scaly hand came out and grasped her's. It felt the warmth of the sun, a soft warm breeze came through and brushed against his skin and he took it back quickly in fear.

Lor'themar moved closer to the cave, he offered his hand. "I promise to protect you." Lohean grasped his hand, it was cold like ice, he slowly inched out of the safety of the cave. He had the appearance of an elf, but his skin was green, it had scales, and glowing green eyes. But he was an elf.

He shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand, after a while he removed it, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he had a look of utter happiness. He breathed deeply, basking in the sun, his hand became warmer the more he spent time in the sun. Lor'themar realized he was cold-blooded, much like a serpent.

"Sun!" He exclaimed happily, it was like he and the sun were old lovers who been separated for a long period of time and finally reunited.

"I have not done enough, I promise you I will change things for you, starting with Halduron."

"What do you do?" Lor'themar looked at him confused.

"He means what power do you have to make these changes." Lohean nodded his head in agreement.

Lor'themar put another hand on top of his. "Friend, do not worry about that, I will fix this for you, and others like you. No one deserves to live in a cave. We are blood elves, we are better than this."

"No, we not." He took his hand back and went back to the safety of his cave. Lor'themar walked away he could not look at the conditions anymore. "Western plaguelands. Mutations hid well there with scourge. Bring back some mice." Lor'themar wanted to wretch, blood elves hiding among scourge and eating mice. What had Halduron done? He had forced his own people to such extremes, what had Lor'themar done? Obviously, not enough.


End file.
